Hypodermic syringes



Dec- 1, 1959 s. J. EVERETT ErAL HYPODERMIC SYRINGES Filed Jan. 21. 1955 .Nm mm mm Sq l vAttorney United States Patent O Tice HYPODERMIC SYRINGES Samuel James Everett, Thornton Heath, and Freddy Himmelweit, London, England, assignors to S. & R. J. Everett & Company Limited, Thornton Heath, England Application January 21, 1955, Serial No. 483,386 18 Claims. (Cl. 128218) This invention relates to hypodermic injection apparatus in which a prepared phial of medicament is held in a holder in which a double-ended needle can be'tted, and having at the other end of the holder a plunger which can engageV a piston-like rear closure in the phial and force it forward through the phial, thus expelling the contents through the needle, the. rear end of which is caused to penetrate the front closure of the phial.

' It is important with certain types of injection that the medicament should be administered in the correct tissue. One way of ascertaining whether the point of the needle has been inserted at the correct position is to withdraw a certain amount of blood through the needle before making the injection. plunger should be capable not only of engaging the rear closure to force it forward, but also of withdrawing the rear closure so as vto cause blood to be drawn into the phial.

The present invention provides an improved arrangement for connecting the plunger to the rear closure of the phial so that the nrear `closure can vbe withdrawn, and also for mounting thev phial securely and satisfactorily in the holder.

According. to the `inventionpthe rear closure is provided with a. rearwardly extending projection which can be grasped by a chuck formed at the front end of the plunger. Preferably at the rear end of the holder a movable member is provided capable of engaging the rear end of the phial and having a wedge action when moved sideways in the holder so as to tighten upon the rear end of the phial and thus press it firmly forward.

An example of apparatus according to the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the apparatus;

Figure 2 shows a plan view in longitudinal section;

Figure 3 shows an enlarged transverse section of Figure l on the line III-III.

The holder is a channel-shaped member 1 closed at the front end by a transverse wall 2 having a central aperture 3 to which a slot 4 leads for the introduction of a double-ended needle 5 having a mountv 5A. The rear end of the member 1 is closed by a bush 6 and has nger pieces 7. A pair of slots 8 are formed as shown in the member 1 to admit a wedge member 9 bent from sheet material and shaped in profile as shown so that when it is pushed through the holder 1 it moves to and fro axially. The front face 10 of the wedge 9 remains perpendicular to the axis of the phial 26 and thus, as the wedge is pushed downwards in Figure l the rear end of the phial is engaged by the wedge 9 and pushed forwards towards the rear point of the needle 5. The sloping rear face 11 of the wedge 9 is provided with serrations 12 to engage the edge 13 of the cylindrical rear part of the member 1 and thus hold the wedge 9 in any desired position.

The plunger comprises a tube 14 slidable in the bush 6 and through the central aperture of the wedge 9. The outer surface of the tube is hexagonal and ts into the hexagonal bore of an inwardly projecting flange 6A at It is therefore desirable that thek 2,915,064 P'vfltented Dec. 1, 1959 the `rear .of thetbushfti. .-At the-"frontI end ofthe plunger f the bore is -ared .axially as shownv at 15. A finger knob 18 is rotatably secured on the rear end of thetube. 14 by a -pin 17 fitting in a groove 1-6 in the tube, and has a threaded bore `19 into which the threaded rear end of av plunger rod 20, slidable in the` bore of the tube 14,v

ts. The front end of this rod is 'split longitudinally as shown at 21 Aand has a `pair of collet-like jaws 23 forming a chuck; The outer surface of these jaws isv conedl at 22 tol tit the aredfront end of thebore of the tube 14. A `spigot 24 moulded at therear of therubber rear closure 25 of the .phial 26 can t into the' jaws 2.3. Axial movement between the vrod 20 and the tube v14 Vis limited Vby a pin.l27 carried by the rod '20 engaging in a `slot A23 in the tube 14 and this also-pre# vents relative rotation between these two--parts.

When theknob 18 is unscrewed lso that the rod 20 is moved forward in the tube 14 the jaws 23 of the chuck expand andfcan itover the spigot 24. -If the knob A18 is then screwed up,Y` withdrawing the rod 20 into the tube 14, the coned surfaces 15 and 22 cause the jaws of the chuck to contract, -thus grasping the spigot 24 tightly so that it can `be Awithdrawn into the phial. the sides ofthe `jaws 23 .jamming in the coned surface 15, ats are formed 'on their coned surfaces.

When a phial l26 is fitted in the holder 1, the 'w'edge 9 is movedupwards ais far as possible. ing the wedge 9 downwards the phial is moved forwad causing the-front closure 29'to be pierced by the r'ear end of the needle -5.

l. Aholder for tusje in combination with a phial to constitute a -hypodermic syringe, said holder comprising a channel shaped member `closed atzeach end, means at needlegand a :plunger mountedin `the rear end of said member -so as` to be axially slidable relative to said member, said plunger fcomprsing an outer slidable tube and an axially slidable rod disposed in= said tube, the front end of said rod being formed as collet like jaws to provide a chuck, said tube and said jaws being formed with cooperating cam surfaces which cause the jaws to close when said rod is withdrawn into said tube.

2. A holder according to claim 1, in which the jaws are integral with the rod and are at the end of segments of the rod, said segments being formed by longitudinal cuts extending from the front end part of the rod along its length.

3. A holder according to claim 1, in which the plunger has means to restrain said rod from rotation in said tube, a threaded knob mounted on said tube so as to be rotatable thereon but not axially movable relative to said tube, said rod extending the length of said tube and being threaded at its rear end for cooperation with said knob.

4. A holder according to claim l, in which the cooperating cam surfaces comprise a conical flare on the front end of the bore of the tube and a cone-shaped outer surface on the jaws.

5. A holder according to claim 1, in which said channel shaped member is provided with a slot and a wedge shaped cam member is mounted in said slot so as to be movable therein transversely to the holder, the front face of said cam member providing an abutment for engaging the rear end of the phial.

6. A holder according to claim 5, in which said front l face is adapted to remain perpendicular to the axis of the To prevent 3 .I` said holder, said phial comprising a cylindrical body, a rear closure formedl of rubbery material, said rear closure being slidable through said body and having a rearwardly extending projection, said projection being moulded at therear ofvsaid rear closure, and a'front closure, meansl for mounting a double-ended hypodermic needle at the front endvof said holder such that the rear end of said needle pierces saidfront closure,-a plunger slidable in the rear end of said holder and adapted to engage said rear closure ofthe phial to force it through said phial, said plunger comprising an outer axial slidable tube and an axially slidable rod disposed in said tube, the end of said rod being formedwith collet-like jaws constituting a chuck for grasping the said projection'of the rear closure, the tube and jaws being formed with co-operating cam surfaces which cause the jaws to close when the rod is Withdrawn into thetube. o

8. Apparatus according to claim 7,the projection from the Vrear closure of the phial beingin the form of a cylindrical spigot. f

9. Apparatus according to claim 7, in which the jaws are integral with the rod and are at the end of segments of the rod, said segments being formed by longitudinal cuts extending from the front end part of the rod along its length. v Y

l0. Apparatus according to. claim 9, in which said plunger has means torestrain said rod from rotation in said tube, a threaded knob mounted on said tube so as to be rotatable thereon but not axially movable relative to said tube, said rod extending the length of said tube and being threaded at its rear end for a screw lit with said knob. I

1l. Apparatus according to claim 7, in vwhich said plunger has means to restrain said rod from rotation in said tube, a threaded knob mounted on said tube so as to be rotatable thereon but not axially movable relative to said tube, said rod extending the length of said tube and being threaded at its rear end for cooperation with said threaded knob.

12. Apparatus according to' claim 7 in which the cooperating cam surfaces comprise a conical are on the front end of the bore of the tube and a conefshaped outer surface on the jaws. l

. 4 13. Apparatus according to claim 12 in which two jaws are provided.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, in which the coned surface of each jaw is' formed with a flat at each side to prevent the coned surfaces of the jaws jamming in the flared mouth of the tube.

15. Apparatus according to claim 7, in which to force the phial forwards and to hold it during withdrawal of the rear closure, a wedge shaped cam member movable transversely in the holder is provided adapted to engage the rear end of the phial.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, in which the front face of the wedge cam member which engages the phial is adapted to remain perpendicular to the axis of the phial whereas the rear face is sloped and is in contact with a surface at the rear end of the holder.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16, in which the rear face of the wedge member is serrated to engage a projection on the surface at the rear of the holder.

' 18. A syringe for use with a disposable ampoule cartridge having a plunger and said plunger having an exposed tip extending therefrom, said syringe comprising a barrel for receiving the cartridge, a needle and a piston rod associated with the barrel, and means on said piston rod for gripping the cartridge plunger tip for movement of the cartridge plunger with the piston rod in either direction for both aspiration and injection, the plunger tip gripping means comprising radially movable gripping lingers on the piston rod at the inner end thereof and including means for moving said fingers radially' inwardly to grip the tip, said lingers being resilient and normally retracted.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

